I'd like to see Clapper, Schmidt and Shore make the list, but it's hard to compare them with more recent players, as most of us just know their toughness from the legends and stories - never actually saw them scrap.

The Taz is tops. Took on everyone and didn't stop swinging till he was in the box. On top of that, one of the nicest guys I ever met. Neely was fierce too, not the best fighter but man could he get mad!My man Cash was tough, and funny to boot. And Stan the Man Jonathan was awesome.Miller and Wensink were both breat, I especially like Wensink challenging the entire North Stars bench.Al Secord had some awesome fights too.But all things considered, Looch ranks right up there. Hope he retires as a Bruin, 20 years from now!

In Response to Re: Best Bruins brawlers? : Best one I was at was November 1991 (forget the exact day, maybe the 2nd?), against Detroit, where Jeff Lazaro was strangled by that turd dwarf Brad McCrimmon at the end of a 6-3 pasting. Even Stephane Quintal looked good in that game. Probert sucker punched Steve Leach as the teams were trying to get off the ice, which then basically started a second mini brawl. And finally, a drunken and dumb Bruins fans punched Yzerman on his way off the ice and since that day, the Garden has had an awning above the visitior's entry way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0ryosMOS-0 To this day, I always wondered why there weren't more brawls, because of the visitor's bench located where it was and the fact the benches were across the ice from one another, with the Bruins sitting right in front of the visitor's walkway. Remember the '86 brawl with the Canadiens where Nilan clipped a Bruin (forgot who it was, probably some Sinden hack player)? Then, Lineseman took on Nilan as Nilan tried to get to the Habs locker room. Hilarity. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhqUl13ltJ4Posted by RidingWithTheKingII

That was Paul Boutilier... not too bright, looking away when he was locked up with Nilan of all people. You don't take your eyes off him until he's on the bus back to the airport.

Good one there with Markwart and Fraud Lemieux, although the vid didn't cover much of it. Markwart was quoted afterwards as saying he "planted him" in that one. Bs weren't terribly tough that year ( to wit, Peppers coming right through their bench ) and next year were tougher w/ LB, Plett, Kluzak back and a l'il Shoe for the occassional insurance.

Help me out Bruin fans. I recall the early 70's Bruin team who were as tough as anyone and Pie-face Mackenzie. I remember him as being really gritty but I can't remember if he was a good scapper? Any old-timers remember?Posted by LoveRealHockey

He could go and wasn't afraid of anyone. He disassembled Forbes Kennedy one night during a line brawl. His fights against John Ferguson in the AHL were legend. He usually didn't fare too well in those-not many players did against Fergie-but he never backed down from anyone. Was fun to watch play. He played on the line with the Chief and Fred Stanfield. If he had wanted to fight, Bucyk probably would have been one of the toughest guys in the league.

In Response to Re: Best Bruins brawlers? : Best one I was at was November 1991 (forget the exact day, maybe the 2nd?), against Detroit, where Jeff Lazaro was strangled by that turd dwarf Brad McCrimmon at the end of a 6-3 pasting. Even Stephane Quintal looked good in that game. Probert sucker punched Steve Leach as the teams were trying to get off the ice, which then basically started a second mini brawl. And finally, a drunken and dumb Bruins fans punched Yzerman on his way off the ice and since that day, the Garden has had an awning above the visitior's entry way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0ryosMOS-0 To this day, I always wondered why there weren't more brawls, because of the visitor's bench located where it was and the fact the benches were across the ice from one another, with the Bruins sitting right in front of the visitor's walkway. Remember the '86 brawl with the Canadiens where Nilan clipped a Bruin (forgot who it was, probably some Sinden hack player)? Then, Lineseman took on Nilan as Nilan tried to get to the Habs locker room. Hilarity. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhqUl13ltJ4Posted by RidingWithTheKingII

He was hardly a hack. It was Rick Middleton. Absolutely filthy dirty cheap shot when Nifty was circling to come back down ice. Suckered him with a butt end, breaking his upper plate, I believe it was. Plate came out and there was blood everywhere. The scene of the crime was the faceoff cirle to the right of the Habs net, way behind the play. I was in the balcony at that end of the ice and saw the whole thing. What ensued didn't make me ask for my money back. I think O'Reilly tried to go after Nilan too and was fined for it. The league didn't have much of a sense of humor about a coach trying to fight a player. Would have been fun to watch. If it wasn't that game it was another one around the same time.

One player that has escaped mention is Bill Speer. He only played one year, but he was a solid hitter in the Leo Boivin fashion. In the playoffs against the Rangers Jack Egers tried to go after Esposito and Speer came flying in, grabbed Egers and turned him completely upside down. Haven't seen that before or since. As I recall, Egers was quite a bit bigger than him. A few years later while with the Providence Reds playing against the Braves in the AHL playoffs, he caught O'Reilly coming out of his own zone with his head down and flipped him from the the blue line to halfway into the neutral zone. O'Reilly landed on his head and there was blood everywhere. Perfectly good clean solid hit. Was a thing of beauty no matter who you were rooting for. Sadly, he was the first player from the 70 cup winners to die. I believe it was by drowning.

In Response to Re: Best Bruins brawlers? : Wasn't Middleton. Some French sounding name. #42 or something. I'd need to watch the video again. Nilan has him tied up, he's looking to the scrum area and Nilan just sucker punches him. Wasn't Middleton who Nilan sucker punched. I know that is the original start of the brawl, but not the sucker punch after it which then triggered Nilan being escorted to the benches, where Linseman took a shot. Watch the video. Edit: #34 Boutelier. No idea who that is. Probably some call up via Harry in those days. Arguably the worst cheap shot in a brawl sequence I've ever seen.Posted by RidingWithTheKingII

Paul Boutilier was the compensation they received when Brian Curran signed with the Islanders. Siinden wanted Steve Konroyd but the arbitrator awarded them Boutilier instead. They gave up nothing and got nothing, although at one time he was considered a top prospect, being the 21st pick in the first round. You are correct. I thought he was referring to what started it. I saw Jim Dorey do the same thing to Eddie Shack one night. He thought the fight was over and turned his head. It was over-for him. This is a great thread. Brings back a lot of memories.BTW, does anyone remember when Don Awrey strangled Marc Tardif during a B's-Habs brawl? Tardif fainted and Awrey casually skated away as if no one saw it.

Ahh. You are older than myself. I saw Charlie Simmer standing in there in that brawl and chuckled. Yeah, I was talking more about the brawl with how the benches across from one other actually created more issues than side by side. I referenced the 1991 Detroit brawl and this one, more as two turning points at the Garden, where after these incidents, they made chanegs to how they structured the benches and visiting entrance way. In 1991, it was adding an awning above the visitors entry way after the fan attacked Yzerman, post game. In '86, the visitors who might be ejected literally had to walk past our bench? It's funny to think about now, that it was the norm at the time. As if they expected no one to say anything to Nilan after that display? If I remember correctly, the Garden was one of the last places to move the benches back to the side by side approach in order to limit players looking at one another straight on, across the ice. Good info on Boutelier. I don't really remember him much. He must not have played much in a Bruins uni.Posted by RidingWithTheKingII

If you think the bench situation was funny you're gonna love this. Until about the later 60's there was only one penalty box per arena. When two opponents went to the box a cop would sit between them. I saw Leo Boivin do a dance on Billy Hicke on the ice one night. Don't know just what Hicke did, but when they got to the box Boivin still had steam coming out of his ears. After a few seconds Boivin turned, looked at him, threw a haymaker at him, and proceeded to beat the snot out of him once again. They sat on regular two-tiered benches and Hicke's skates went flying up in the air as he fell between the two benches. The whole time the poor cop is pinned between them just trying to get out alive. Finally he escaped as Boivin continued pounding on Hicke. I was about 8 years old then and found this particularly entertaining. I'd still love to know what Hicke did to make Leo so mad.

In Response to Re: Best Bruins brawlers? : He could go and wasn't afraid of anyone. He disassembled Forbes Kennedy one night during a line brawl. His fights against John Ferguson in the AHL were legend. He usually didn't fare too well in those-not many players did against Fergie-but he never backed down from anyone. Was fun to watch play. He played on the line with the Chief and Fred Stanfield. If he had wanted to fight, Bucyk probably would have been one of the toughest guys in the league.Posted by topazini

Thanks /> I do remember that line. Stanfield had the cannon slapshot if I remember correctly. They were always hard to play against.

In Response to Re: Best Bruins brawlers? : He could go and wasn't afraid of anyone. He disassembled Forbes Kennedy one night during a line brawl. His fights against John Ferguson in the AHL were legend. He usually didn't fare too well in those-not many players did against Fergie-but he never backed down from anyone. Was fun to watch play. He played on the line with the Chief and Fred Stanfield. If he had wanted to fight, Bucyk probably would have been one of the toughest guys in the league.Posted by toppazini

Here's a good one with Pie... Speaking of penalty boxes, there was no room after this one so he joined the fans !

In Response to Re: Best Bruins brawlers? : Here's a good one with Pie... Speaking of penalty boxes, there was no room after this one so he joined the fans ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhpNJOskIdYPosted by Griswal65

What a great clip ! And the Red Wings in the penalty box looked like part of the crowd.